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Scientists at Harvard University have turned their attention to solving one of the world's enduring problems: getting that last bit of ketchup out of the bottle. The team, led by professor Joanna Aizenberg, successfully isolated the slippery coating of carnivorous Nepenthes pitcher plants to create a material called Slippery Liquid Infused Porous Surface, which has the ability to repel liquids based on both water and oil. Aizenberg says better ketchup bottles are one of many potential uses for SLIPS. "It also repels ice and so is not prone to icing up, which would be ideal on aircraft wings or in industrial freezer units," she said.

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Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a computer processor that has all the functions of a single human brain synapse. The chip mimics a brain function called "plasticity" -- which refers to how neurons adapt to new information -- and contains about 400 transistors, giving it the potential to process data even faster than the biological version. The scientists say the breakthrough may lead to an array of medical applications, including neural prosthetic devices.

Lenovo is embarking on a branding initiative, including ads to make the company more familiar to potential customers, as the company has come to rely more on channel partners to make sales. The company says 85% of last year's North America sales were made through indirect sales channels. The company also is looking to promote its tablets for the enterprise market.

Completing a certification program is a good way for a technology worker to improve their knowledge about an enterprise solution -- and it can also help expand their checkbooks, according to a survey of 700 network professionals conducted by Network World and SolarWinds. Half of those surveyed said a certification led to a raise, while about 60% said it helped get them a new job. The poll indicated that network-technology certifications are among the most popular and most lucrative, as they are held by about 67% of respondents.